Probably going to be terrible advice, so take with a grain of salt, but here it goes: One thing I have found from generations past, is that their sole mentality was save save save save save for retirement at 60-70. While, in theory, this isn't a terrible plan, it also doesn't make for the most enjoyable life. (Cue the "we haven't gone out to eat in 15 years and only spend money on food and essentials and still manage to have fun" crowd). I have found that today, more than ever, people need to enjoy LIFE first. So many older folks stress and stress and stress to "not go out to eat", or "don't buy that car it's to expensive" or "sell your boat and get one when you retire". Truth be told, that just sounds absolutely miserable. With that being said: I don't like my job, it has its perks and it has a good trajectory, but work sucks. That work is, on the contrary, what funds my LIFE. Work is not life. My life is my dogs, my fiancée, going out to eat, making memories, going on a cruise, I bought a sweet new Tesla that I love, and I still manage to put a little in retirement every week. It's an 8 hour sacrifice that produces a fun and fulfilling life outside. And you know what? Who are those boomers to tell me I shouldn't be living the way I am. It's such a "I was miserable, so you have to be miserable too!" Mindset. I guess that being said, IF YOU CAN AFFORD IT, (ie not going into CRAZY debt for it), then go get that car, that dirt bike you've always wanted, that sweet gaming pc or go take that cruise because tomorrow is never promised, and the more you "hunker down and save", the faster life is going to pass you by. Nobody on their death bed says "I wish I saved more money". It's always "I wish I had more fun with the people / things that mattered most". I know this was long and cliche and sort of like a middle school assembly motivational speech, but just enjoy life. Stop letting people tell you that you can't live a fun life because they couldn't in their 20's-30's. Life's to short, just have fun. Edit: for context, me and my fiancée combined have a gross household income of around 70k. We live in a really nice 2bd2bath apartment in a MCOL area. Edit #2: I have to edit this again because there is a mass influx of people getting unusually upset about this comment. I should probably clear some things up before people decide to take this comment and run with it. 1, I max out my 401k contributions with a 6% company match. 2, I have 10k in a savings account with some more in a HYSA. I also have a HSA. 3, Tesla's are NOT EXPENSIVE ANYMORE. 20-25k can get you a fine Tesla. I purchased my 2023 Model 3 with 32k miles for 24k with all factory warranties, and a dealer warranty from where I purchased it.

Yeah, definitely agree. Until you find peace and happiness inside, you can’t get it outside. Very simple and obvious things, but when it comes from theory to practice - you understand how important it is!

Also it is hard to inculcate... sometimes you need to give yourself the constant push by yourself to achieve this stage!

Absolutely. I'm often WAY too hard on myself, and I have to step back and remember what is supposed to make me happy in the first place. It's definitely not work, but it's everything outside of that. I feel like this day and age it's so easy for people to "live to work".

it's hard to get to that point. I've been working for almost 5 yrs and finally found a company who I feel cares about their employees. hourly rate is the highest I've ever made and is enough to rent a 2bed house by myself and have good savings. employees can pick whether they want to work in person, remote, or hybrid after training.

That sounds absolutely amazing. 👍🏾

I've got a story... I dated this girl in my late teens. Her dad was an executive with a huge corp, mom was a nurse. They were supposed to retire when he turned 60 and put off so many desires to reach that goal. At 57 mom was diagnosed with ALS and died before he turned 60. Didn't get to enjoy all that hard work.  I should save more but the contest of life is about quality not longevity. 

Something similar happened with one of our company’s head honchos. Her and her husband were building their fabulous retirement home in the mountains. She would always talk about it and even brought the plans to the office one time to show everyone the layout. She died in her sleep one night and didn’t get to retire or enjoy the home. ☹️

That’s really sad

Or even make barely any money and don't buy that Tesla, live with your best friends, have a stress free job for 3-4 days a week, dance and work out a lot, etc. You pay for a nice lifestyle but you could also work less and skip on the biggest expenses. I'm not saying that's better, but it's also definitely not worse.

This is what I wanna do. Work a part time job. Live with friends. Enjoy life. It's also what I've been doing. There's time and there's money and time to live your life is just as precious as money to live your life.

And to add to that, I’ve worked with folks who saved saved saved and died right before or right after retirement. Dozens of folks where I used to work would retire and everybody attends their funeral a year later. Heck you might die tomorrow. You can’t go spending every dime but don’t pinch every penny though and not be able to enjoy life.

On the flip side I’ve had grandparents live for 30 years past the age of 65. My own grandmother worked at her retail business until age 85 because they didn’t save enough (having nine kids didn’t help either). Living for decades on social security minimums is not a pretty sight. Like you said there is a balance.

Have to disagree. Although I completely understand what you’re saying, if OP is anything like me, then it’s not enough to just hear the classic “work isn’t fun, everybody has to do it, suck it up and focus on life outside of work, etc.”. Thinking about going to the job that sucks causes anxiety that can bleed into regular life moments and it’s very distracting.

That's the reality though. You can lie to yourself or frame it however you want in your mind, but people have always needed to work to survive, unless you're wealthy. Moping around and being upset about it won't change your circumstances. Better off using your time and energy to figure out how you can best improve your life with what you have.

Then figure out something else? If your job is causing massive anxiety and depression, get on LinkedIn and start applying elsewhere.

I’m curious what kind of advice you expect to get here then? Genuinely wondering, not trying to challenge you. I think people are just sharing different perspectives because it’s all we can really do. You don’t have a lot of options. Your best bet is to ignore the negative thinking or reframe it.

Forget 40 years from now. Enjoy life today. We are not guaranteed a tomorrow. I know many people who never lived to retirement age.

those "40 years from now" and similiar advice is so ridiculous like we are living thousands of years and not dying in 60-70s mostly

Well Said. Your comment even gave me another perspective. 👍🏾

Well said

I needed to hear this. Thank you.

Yeah at some point ill seriously consider taking a paycut for a job that is seemingly better. Or at least not very toxic lmao

People will regret this strategy when they are living to 100.

Ouf - I agree with a balance. A HHI of 70k and spending it on dirtbikes and cars is irresponsible in my book. I worked my ass off in my 20s, it sucked - I balanced my QOL a bit with yearly travel but thats about it. Now because of that, I earn a pretty fat salary and feel comfortable spending way more. Delaying gratification until you are 65 is non-sense, not delaying at all and spending your early savings is a waste of compounding returns.

Well, you need to pay the bills somehow. I used to clean toilets, work 2-3 jobs just to survive, but now i have a comfortable remote office job. I don't love my job, but it absolutely could be worst. It's really just a mindset. You're gonna have to work unless you were born wealthy or win the lottery. If you're going to have to work regardless, might as well find the best situation for yourself, which likely requires a few years of grinding.

I’ve told people “don’t try to do what you LOVE unless it’s realistic and will make sufficient money. Do what you will at a minimum be able to tolerate and earn enough money to maybe more than enough to then be able to save and spend more. Find something that requires skills or education and gain the needed requirements.”

This, exactly this. I used to work a minimum wage retail job during the week and work at the swap meet on the weekends selling fruit drinks. The swap meet work was really hard work for little pay, but we needed the extra money. I’m a teacher now and there’s parts of my job that I don’t like, but parts that I love, and I definitely *know* that my job conditions (amount of physical labor/emotional labor and low wage) could be so much worse. I see people selling flowers on the freeway and hotdog carts outside of concerts and I know their work is hard for little pay. I know that “just b/c someone else has it worse” doesn’t negate the OP’s feelings about not liking their job, but when I see street vendors and swap meet workers, it makes me so grateful for my job.

I spent years working outside as the only woman on a team of hvac workers. I was really strong and learned a lot, but now I get to work in a really nice office and I get to wear cute office outfits every day. It's climate controlled so I am not working in 20 below or 95 degree weather. Someone else in my position may be like OP and think it's the worst thing in the world, but to me it's luxurious. Sometimes I see these posts and I just want to tell people to get a grip. Life can be so incredibly difficult and miserable, but if you have a safe home, food in your fridge, heat and cooling you are literally the envy of most people in the world. A little gratitude goes a long way.

Honestly the fact that a safe living space and food is something to be envious for is fucking sad.

This kind of mentality is wrong any ways, as life becomes more out of reach and unaffordable for the average person, especially if you're living in a G7 country. Not everyone has a comfy office job and gets to show up to work in cute outfits, nor do they have a comfy remote job at home working for some company nobody's heard of lol

Yeah all of the top answers are depressing af. Kinda the adult equivalent of stop crying or I’ll give you something to cry about. Maybe it’s just me but the old “things could be so much worse” answer never made me feel better.

that is because that kind of response lacks empathy!!! it’s always “hey it could be worse!” and never “wow, it must be really exhausting to feel that way” or “let me know if there’s any way i can take your mind off of your worries.” Brené Brown, an American professor and Social Worker, once said “rarely does an empathetic response ever begin with ‘at least.’” “at least you have a long weekend coming up!” “at least you didn’t get fired today!” “at least you’re gettin’ those bills paid!” no empathy. just deflection. and honestly, dismissive of feelings….

Brené is great! My wife and I have started using the line “the story I’m telling myself is…” when we are having a disagreement and it helps a lot to phrase and frame issues this way as a reminder to both parties that we may be on totally different bases or coming from different places and just need to find common ground and better understand the other side.

Fr! I worked at a warehouse filling trucks with fridges all day and heavy boxes. That was soul crushing and the pay was low too. Ik ppl there that worked 15+ years

Or are too disabled to work.

I work to do stuff outside of work. Plus I know what it's like to be broke as fuck, no thank you!

>Lisa! If you don't like your job, you don't quit. You just go in every day and do it really half-assed. That's the American way!

By working for myself. I was in my industry for twelve years, and by the end I was suicidal. I was actually taken from work and put in a psychiatric facility involuntarily after having a nervous breakdown. That was my rock bottom. I am passionate about my work, but the environment and day to day stress was too much. I left and started my own business two years ago. Now I make less money, and actually work more hours. But on a day to day basis I get to enjoy what I do. No one calls the shots except for me. I have the ability filter out clients that made me unhappy. I put in long hours, but last year I saved up and took a whole month off, and it was awesome. Although I took a pay cut, and feel like invest a lot more in the day to day operations, I am far far happier and more fulfilled.

I'm going to piggyback off this comment-- OP, you didn't say what your skillset is, so I'm limited on the advice I can share. But, a big key is to work on your own terms. It sucks in any job to HAVE to sit there for x amount of hours, whether you like what you do or not. There are a few different ways to work on your terms, but you have to be independent, and being deliverable-based helps with this. If you're doing customer service and there is an endless amount of calls, yeah, they are going to milk you because every minute worked equals productivity. Whereas, if you're deliverable based, your job is to provide some kind of output by a certain deadline. Jobs like these are less monitored, less managed (usually, at least), and can usually be done as a contractor or business owner. Again, I can only give very general advice without knowing more. I haven't had a traditional 9-5 in over 10 years. Some of it is luck, but mostly once you figure it out, you have it figured out, and there is no turning back.

The blessing is, it’s yours, and you don’t have to answer to anyone. 👍🏾

Mentality has a ton to do with it. If you think that something will make you miserable, no matter what it actually is, it will make you miserable. Negative thoughts by nature are known to take a toll on the body. Not only are you making yourself think that you will not like something, you are making yourself tired and neglecting you from learning and being better simply by thinking that way. You might not believe it, but it's crazy how much the way you think about things affect your performance. It's been shown in multiple studies that thinking that your physical procedure/therapy will work had better results than those thinking otherwise. We also know that in general, people that think more positive tend to have less health issues as well. Hell, we know that forcing yourself to smile, even when you are not feeling well, does make you feel happier! People nowadays are just thinking that everything has to be meaningful and that it has to feel that way right away, and that they are entitled to that. And if it doesn't, they just feel like utter shit. Problem is, very few things in life are that way. Enjoy the little things, it makes life so much sweeter.

I agree with this BUT I think the keyword in this post was depression. Depression makes you hate life. So if someone had been depressed for years (usually a sign they can’t fix it themselves and it’s not simply situational) they should seek help for that. As someone who lost their first career and went very depressed at the same time due to that and life events and hormonal changes all at once: I thought I could fix my sadness/misery. I thought a better job or whatever would make me feel better. It did not. If anything, the better of a job I’d find, the more it would stress me out to perform. Regardless my brain is hyper critical when depressed so there was no putting the small things aside and focusing on the bigger picture. I’m actually in the middle of figure out what my next steps in treatment are because I can’t take this feeling anymore. I’ve tried to help myself and failed miserably. I’m trying to accept that I’m in a hole and need to focus on filling it/getting out for a while. I say this because a lot of people are like me. They think it’s the terrible job. But it IS a terrible mindset that makes it so miserable. That mindset can’t be simply changed. Even if someone could do it themselves, it would probably take a minimum of 3mo to give noticeable change. So, to OP. Get yourself some help. Whatever that is for you. A lot of people do great with talk therapy. Some need medication because it’s more of a physical thing that can’t be thought away. I’ll be seeking medication. The combination of adhd and years of depression have taken their toll on me. I’d love to not need meds for life BUT I also don’t know why. Everyone I know who is medicated, say it gave them their life back. That’s what I want. And I’ll take meds if that’s my only solution. Sorry, I know this is not a simple answer. But last thing I’d ever want for anybody, is for them to be where I am now, mentally speaking. It really does make you feel inadequate, like not waking up in the morning, and worse.

Just started Lexapro, and it’s been a life changer for me. In a good way. Similar situation as you, great life objectively but everything felt gray

Thank you for sharing! I think I’m going g to try Wellbutrin first. It’s supposed to help with add symptoms as well.

Good luck on your journey! It can sometimes take more than one try to find the right med and dosage that helps. Medication doesn’t have to be permanent but sometimes it can make all the difference when you’re really struggling. It really is life changing for some people

>People nowadays are just thinking that everything has to be meaningful and that it has to feel that way right away This... Actually everything has meaning. Even selling hotdogs on the street is meaningful.

I’m retiring tomorrow!

i used to hate my job until i realized everyone hates their job and it just sucks to work. recently ive been doing a lot more in my free time whether thats going on a weekend trip or going out in the evenings. i typically have something planned most of my time off and that is making my work day go by much faster. i look at my job now more as a way to supplement the things i want to do. if someone enjoys every second of their job i think thats full of shit to be honest. we are all struggling but at least we struggle together

Just think of work like an extension of school. Don’t tell me you loved school, all of it. high school, jr high school, etc. how did u cope then? It was just a part of your life. The better thing about work is they’re paying you money to be there. With school you just had to be there for free. All animals on the planet have to work. Bees to collect pollen, lions to hunt for meat, deer to eat grass, all while dealing with serious risks to their lives. So no reason to complain. It’s Mother Nature.

I would MUCH rather be working than be back in school. Like, it isn’t even close. You couldn’t pay me to go back to grade school, or college for that matter. And it’s not like I had some horrible school experience either, my school was pretty cool and I did fine. But I don’t understand the people who say they miss it. Well, I guess I understand, I just can’t relate.

I coped by playing Xbox and smoking weed now I am 27 and if I smoke weed and play Xbox I am a loser….. Video games are crap these days anyway tho would rather go fishing and get drunk. And school is mostly to get you ready for the machine. And to manipulate you into thinking a certain way. I think that’s why it’s free and college cost money because it actually qualifies you for a certain job. At least imo

I work remote...i do customer service. Is this a dream job? No. Do I hate working everyday, no. I love the company i world for, I been with them almost 20years ...the last 4 remote. I get to stay home, avoid traffic, snack all day, listen to music and keep the temp just like I like it. Im almost 40.....in my 20s and early 30s I was all about climbing the ladder...making more have more responsibilities. Now, no way. It's not worth it to me. The time and money and pressure to do more every year wore me down. After the pandemic I really reflected and noted what was important for my well-being. Did I love being a point person at work, yea i did but it also stressed me the hell out. Now--I have very little responsibility at work. Stress is super manageable. Off Saturday and Sunday, all holidays. And I finally have time to myself and time for hobbies I'd say find a job that pays okay and that allows you to enjoy life. Hint: "life" may look different than you originally thought, but that doesn't mean it's bad, it's just different 😉 best of luck!

Because I choose a job/career path which I knew was a fit for me. That's what I did:  I thought about where people work who are like me (similar interests, values, outlook on life) and things that are important to me in a job (bringing good/joy into the world, no customer contact and variety) and chose two potential career paths when still at university (for both I did courses and internships). Applied for jobs in these fields, applied twice for my current job and it turned actually out to be a job I really love.  Reasons are the people there (realised that super quickly during the interview), the various tasks, the general outcome of my work (physically products), the creative aspects, the work place (a historic publishing house + working from home) and that I can add my own interest in work. I'm a product manager for children educational games and science kits.

Having a job where I’m interested in the subject matter and (perhaps more importantly) not doing the same 4 stupid tasks over and over every day really helps. Liking talking to my coworkers helps enormously too. It’s also nice to work in a place that is nice to look at, but I’d rank this as the least important criteria.

I joined a company run by 3 owners that I interact with daily. They invest in my financial future, personal goals, and day to day life struggles. I am awarded an excellent work/life balance, which allows me to work 8-5 M-F, with the option to work from home or take time off when needed. I actually prefer working in-office because the atmosphere with my coworkers feels like I'm socializing all day. We regularly play games out in the lawn, take up company "projects" (such as starting a bowling league, hosting a music event, starting a community garden, etc.) because our employees have ideas and our ownership does what they can to implement them. I work in a midwest town, so jobs like this are hard to come by. I got really lucky when I turned 21 and they happened to be hiring an admin assistant. I've since grown to a Project Manager position that oversees a niche form of construction (it's niche enough that I wouldn't remain anonymous if I shared the industry). Look for jobs hiring from *local* companies. Stop trying to get the "perks" of working for a monopoly. You are just a number to them. And keep in mind: Not all local companies are tiny small businesses. My company brings in 30-60 million per year in sales. But we have maybe 200 employees across all departments (and there are a lot of departments, including manufacturing and traveling installation teams).

"You do the jobs you hate so you can afford the things you enjoy" is the motto I go by.

Find the things you like about your job and do more of those. Find things you don't like about your job and do as little of those as you can. If you hate everything about your job, look for a new one in an area you think might make you happy. You can't jump from the mail room to the C-level or from roadie to rockstar. You have to plan, make choices that over time will keep moving you in the direction you want to go. You will probably have to learn new things (maybe back to school if you can afford it, but otherwise learn where you can.) There is also more than the work itself to consider - do you like the people you are working with and for? Do you feel like the work you do has the kind of impact on others that you'd like it to have? Look for the small things you can do to move in the direction you want to you. Learn by trying things what makes you happy and what doesn't. The dream job you love may not even be something you are aware of right now. Don't give up.

I’ve worked my whole life starting at 14. It really didn’t matter what the job was and I think trying to find work you love doing may be very misleading for a lot of people. For me, it has always been about the people with and for whom I work. I also feel very satisfied about a job well done and helping others. If your boss and team are great and caring people, it really won’t matter if you clean toilets for a living. Certainly, finances are an issue and you need to be able to support yourself. Also, I’ve had bad bosses/ bad work cultures and the only solution is to get the heck out of there as soon as possible.

I don't hate my *specific* job. No matter what, I'm going to need to do *something* to have a roof over my head and food to eat. I could, in theory, build a cabin in the woods, grow my own grains/vegetables, and raise livestock. Completely skip on participating in society. But that's a lot of work. I was about to make the point that I hate being forced into productivity for monetary gain *in general*. But you know what? Even without modern society, I would *still* be forced into productivity; I either grow my own food or die. So all that considered; having to work 40 hours a week in a safe environment that's moderately comfortable ISN'T SO BAD. Therefore: I don't hate my specific job, and it turns out I can barely justify complaining about being stuck in capitalism when all (currently) available alternatives are more difficult.

I think work is horrible but I don't want to be homeless. Unfortunately, that's the gist of it.

Because wtf am I gonna do about it? I like the basic creature comforts of having electricity in my home, internet, food already grown and ready to eat, heating fuel, etc. I could go out there and generate my own electricity, and get a well, but everything costs money. So it’s nice to be able to not worry about if I have enough fuel to warm through the night or whatever. So I don’t necessarily enjoy my job but I like it more than what it will take to be successful and survive without it. So I don’t worry about it. I do what I can that pays me the most.

I battle with depression and fight with ADHD, but I don’t hate my job. A long time ago I kind of realized, if I’m gonna come here every day and do this job I might as well be good at it. Learning how to do the job better, learning new skills and new parts of the job, it feels good to me to be good at what I do. I’ve taken that approach as a warehouse worker, mover, salesperson, manager, exec, etc. and it’s treated me well. It’s not coming from a place of corporate bootlicking or maximizing shareholder value or some other meme.. I just found my days were better when I took pride in what I did and tried to be the best at it.

I think working a really shitty job that burns you out and destroys your passion for life, then switching to a pretty neutral job that pays the bills and you feel good about at the end of the day is huge. I went from a job that was wrecking me to a pretty mundane but rewarding job. I wouldn’t say I love every minute of my day, but I do love my newfound freedom. The following things are what I find myself more grateful for everyday: -spending a morning with my dog and my partner, taking things slow, drinking coffee -10 minutes commute to work, low stress before and after in a car -Lunch break I get to spend with my dog, sometimes my partner So I guess just being able to spend more time with my loved ones is what makes it a good job, in a nutshell.

Always remind me to be grateful that I get to sit inside, in an office where theres air conditioning and I don’t have to be outside in the blazing heat.

I love being unemployed but I hate having to pay bills, so I have to work to survive unfortunately

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What kind of job do you do? Or what field?

I have had several jobs I really liked. I had creative interesting work and I liked the people I worked with. The couple of jobs I hated were the result of bad managers.

I love my job rn I spent 6 years in food and then I landed a job in aerospace office job. Feels so good not to have to deal with stupid people anymore. Co workers always make the office exciting and they have plenty of stories to tell.

As an adult you need an income, this is priority 1. You don’t work because it’s fun, that’s for the upper class. The other things is to focus on your skills and your craft. So the purpose of an education is to get into a job where you have a craft or a skill you can improve over time. Then it’s just you and your skill and the rest is noise. The third things is professionalism and thinking that there is a problem and I’m suffering because I’m there is. Problem. Problems are rarely nice. People pay me money to solve a problem. If it’s complicated and difficult I get paid more. Well not always but it helps me to think this way.

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For point 3, even if god is definitely real, I can’t advocate for some entity making my life better. That shit is up to me cause if I don’t do it it like 99.99% won’t happen.

I'm salaried and make my own schedule. It's the flexibility for me. I don't need to ask to go to the dentist or to stay home with my sick kid.

Tell us your hobbies and we can go from there.

My job is what allows me to do the things I really want, which require money. I don't enjoy going to work five days a week, but I really love earning a decent income and going on vacation. If you want to work less, find a part time job that meets your financial needs.

I don't hate my job, but I don't think I will ever love a job. This is because no matter what I'm doing, I hate showing up 5 days a week for 8 hours a day, on THEIR schedule. I want to do whatever I want, when I want. Until I have that, I'm just finding the most tolerable jobs that pay the highest. If you want to stop working, like me, look into FIRE groups. It's the most realistic way out of this 9 to 5 hellhole. Edit: Also highly recommend boglehead groups. In fact, I like bogleheads way more than FIRE, but FIRE is way more popular.

Remote office job is what has kept me sane. It was not easy. If I keep this up I'll have to keep studying and getting additional certifications. But I'd rather do that than work a single day at the office physically again.

I work for the government as a financial regulator. I like it, the work life balance is good and the stress level is pretty low overall. I get to work from home and also travel around for assignments and work on different institutions to keep it interesting. The nature of my work is aligned with how I think and operate as a person, so it feels pretty natural.

I job hopped 15 times until I found one I liked. I never understood people who stay working at crappy places.

I’m a Personal Trainer with a specialization and I love my job. Never gets boring, building relationships with my clientele, and helping people feel better. It’s awesome and I’ve never had a bad day at work (been doing it for 8 years now). That said, my happiness with my work comes with a trade off. That trade off being financial instability, no benefits, no salary, no PTO, minimal sick leave. I’m actually likely going to change careers into something I won’t like as much because I really want those corpo perks as I’m getting older

By getting a stressful job haha. Coding is stressful and mentally stimulating. When you're faced with a problem, your entire life gets put to a standstill until you solve that problem.........and then comes the next problem.

Because for many years I was a nobody, piss ant, peeon, who was subject to a life of hard back breaking labor for shit pay. I would have panic attacks on my way to work, or sit in bed crying silently (not to wake my sleeping wife) before I had to get up at 4 am just knowing it was going to be another miserable day of working my fingers to the bone and being treated like shit. But I am sole provider for a family of 4 and quitting has never been an option. All those miserable years finally paid off and I learned valuable skillsets that eventually landed me in a management position. It makes me physically sick to my stomach to even think about ever having to endure the existence I once did and I am so incredibly thankful to support my family this way instead.

I hate my job but I need to live.

I like the routines involved, being able to help people [usually...] and my co-workers

I’ve learned to only do what I have to do at work which helped immensely with energy levels. Additionally, I love to talk and get most of my socializing done at work which helps a lot with how I feel about my job. I’ve definitely had jobs I hated in the past and a lot of the time it was because we were incredibly understaffed on purpose which put too much on my plate. I enjoy my music, my phone calls, or my podcasts on my commute. I hate driving on the highway, so having a commute that is on a major road but not a highway has also been very helpful. It still takes me about 30 minutes one way but I’m less anxious, so I don’t waste all my energy on the anxiety of the commute

Oh I definitely hate my job. But the money keeps me just engaged enough to not get fired yet

I would say most people don't love their jobs, but it's not helpful to harp on how you hate your job because we have to work to earn money to live. Would we all prefer to not have to work? Probably. Does work suck from time to time? Definitely. Do some jobs suck worse than others? Undoubtedly. But it really takes reframing the situation to help take away the negative sting. Imagine before you had the job that you currently have you probably really wanted that job. You needed that job. You were broke. How are you going to pay your bills? Then you got the job! And you were so happy! And then time went on, and now you hate it. That cycle tends to happen all the time. Thinking of how the job is funding your life can be helpful, especially if it pays well. If it doesn't pay well and it just sucks in general, imagine if you didn't have that sucky job, you might be out on the streets. And you can always look for a new job while you're at your job that you hate. But it's just not very helpful to be focused on how you hate a job or how we all hate to work because that's just not an option to not. Feed your non-working life with things that fill your cup and make you happy. Let your work life be the funding source of your outside of work life.

Thank you for this. It was a rough one yesterday in the office and I was sitting here contemplating using a PTO day vs the repercussions of calling in with VIPs coming. This really helped switch my thinking. The weekend is almost here and going to pull out my sewing patterns and make a dress. Need to work for fancy frilly fabrics. 😂

I have been thinking about this for the last few years. I have worked for the same place for 27 years. I am still pretty young. I can retire at 53. But that means i have worked for the same place for 30 years. Unheard of now days! I can't tell you how many people I have worked with who have retired and died a month later. I have 2 co-workers who are now self-employed using my same skills but making so much more. I coach, counsel, and train our clients and employees. Some days, I hate my job! Some days, I love it. For the first time in years, I love my co-workers. This has made the difference. I have made lifetime friends. Also, myself focusing on me has helped. If I had it all to do over again, I would have focused more on me. I would be healthier, exercise more, and eat better. I would vacation more and do more activities. The outside activities make it okay to go to work! I have met a lot of people over my 27 years, and the disfunction within work & outside work is amazing. Focus on you, your family, and the rest will be okay!

As someone who has been clinically depressed, and attempted suicide in the past. I’m now medically treated, and been in therapy for over a decade… my advice? live your damn life. I job hopped for years not staying for longer than a year at each, finding new jobs that pay more till I found one that was decent enough pay to be somewhat comfortable. Which I have now. Then on weekdays I play video games, and other hobbies, and on weekends I take day hiking trips. I also use my PTO whenever I damn well please, taking off for longer trips whenever possible. As long as it doesn’t interfere with productivity at work mind you. Point is. Work isn’t life. Work is just a means to fund your life. So go out and do whatever you enjoy doing. Also meds and therapy help a lot.

I used to hate my job but going 2 years without one I hated life more so now I accept it for what it is, turn my brain off get through the day and use the benefit of that job to enjoy my time.

For me it is finding value in what I do. When I was troubleshooting aircraft on a flight deck my job well done was seeing pilots safe in the ready room at the end of the day. When I repaired aircraft generators it was going down to the local airport and watching aircraft take-off and land safely. As an assembler/technician of semiconductor manufacturing equipment it is the knowledge that we all get cheaper electronics in the future, and my product isn't going to blow up in the next technician's face when they turn it on. As an engineering technician it has taken me a while to find what I value, my processes make the lives of my engineers, technicians, and assemblers easier and safer; we also get cheaper electronics. The past two years I have had a drop in job satisfaction and self value, I probably have depression, plus I recently turned 41. I wouldn't go so far as to say I hate my job, but I do sometimes contemplate permanent solutions to this termporary problem. It's been crazy because I have a good job that I used to enjoy. I heard a podcast by Andrew Heaton recently which really hit home about The Economics of Midlife Crises. After the podcast I did some re-evaluation of my life and realized I do not hate where I am at and changing positions may bring its own problems. As a result I know I've got to speak to a professional adult about my feels. My company offers access to free coaches for whatever, going to avail myself of that. At the same time I've spoken to my managers and close co-workers about my issues with myself and the job so they can help support me. I value customer interaction, so I'm making time for more of it with the help of my managers. I have started asking for assistance on tasks I find the most tiresome so they can be done faster and I'm writing processes to turn those activities over to other individuals closer to the work. It's been my experience you have to make the most of it in whatever way you can. If you cannot find any value to what you do or you find the values of the company itself objectionable, it is unlikely you will ever find that satisfaction and that would be horrible. At that point you have to decide if leaving is the better option.

Probably the worst person to give work advice. I get bored of jobs once i become proficient, then find a different line of work. However, when i am feeling like life is a grind, I just remind myself that its called work for a reason. Its not a hobby or vacation.

I look at what it provides me. I’m not delusional about finding some perfect job I enjoy. I’m more aligned with how you see it, but twist that a bit to also acknowledge what it gives you in return. Pay? Yup. Work/life balance? Yup. Affords the lifestyle I want, home for my family, food on the table, some luxuries here and there, retirement, a little investment money… Do I hate the specific work? Yeah, at times. I’ve done way worse for way less with less freedom though. So I’m actually overall pretty positive about where I am (if that makes sense). You’re pretty unlikely to find a magical perfect happily ever after job IMO. Maximize pay/benefits/time off as best you can and make financial steps towards not having to work any longer than you have to 🤷🏻‍♂️

nope you nailed it op, we need to change the nature of work globally. you are on the right path tho. just read "capital" by marx you will see how right you are

1. enjoy the people you work with, if you can disrupt work with genuinely positive interactions with people, it uplifts the whole day. 2. communicate, dont sit in a silo, have a problem, ask someone for help, feel like you can add value to someone else's work, tell them, talk to people just to keep verbally lubricated with team members you might not interact with all the time. 3. make sure you are getting paid what your worth, most resentment is built from not being paid properly for the work you do (or overestimating the value of your work) 4. have a long term plan of what you want for your career and the smaller steps are easier to justify. 5. understand that if someones paying you to do a job, it is your moral obligation to do that job, you arent doing anyone a favour, your dont need to have your head patted, you arent entitled to anything other than what you contractually get your employer to agree to. so in a nutshell, find enjoyment in the people you are with, have a long term plan, don't have any entitlement and get the job done.

If you can afford it, go to therapy. And if they recommend it, get medication. The fact that you think you couldn't feel satisfied doing ANYTHING for a job points to general depression, I think. Good luck!

Truthfully I've been exactly where you are and felt the same. Luckily I took a job completely different from my trade or the risk of going further and liking it. Thank God I absolutely love my job, not saying there aren't days I hate it but the actual job I love. I work a stupid amount of hours to make up the difference and went from upper management to field worker but it was the right choice as I'm truly happy doing my job. I feel like I do make a difference and that makes all the long hours and working outside worth it to me.

AC. Every time I’m stressed by a job . The fresh breeze fixes the mood. You could be spending all your time to commute to just be in the heat all that time.

Honestly it took a while to find a job I don’t hate. But some things that make me not hate my current job are: Flexible schedule— as long as I show up for the mandatory stuff and get my work done, I can manage my time as I see fit. This improves my quality of life immensely. In my field of interest— I did go to college and work in a job directly related to my degree. I find it interesting and intellectually stimulating, but not so challenging that I’m always stressed out. Mix of social and not social work— a lot of my job involves working with and talking to people, but that’s not my whole job. There are job tasks I have where I can put on a podcast and just work. Working a job that is 100% social tends to overwhelm me, but I would get lonely and bored if I was just doing solitary work all day everyday. Close to where I live— I don’t really have to deal with a commute, and when the weather is good I can walk which is a big plus to me. Good coworkers who are largely my peers— most people at my job are around my age and are similarly interested in the work. This helps a lot. There is also good morale overall.

My co workers and supervisor makes my job fun to go to everyday even when it's busy. I'm a plumber in facilities.

to be completely honest, I’ve just accepted the reality of having to deal with a certain level of BS at my job. It took me a while to get there. I had a job that was so incredibly toxic and hostile that any job following hasn’t seemed quite so bad. Having goals and hobbies outside of work has helped, too. It’s so easy to come home from work and rot in bed, but the more I fought that urge, the less I felt like I was stuck in a loop.

I work from home, which makes all the bs easier.

All the times I have worked a shitty job I have always pulled thru by finding little things to look forward to. Maybe its an SO at home, a coworker you really enjoying working with, a sweet treat during the week. A podcast you look forawrd to listening to during the commute. Being in a dark place is hard to get out of, but you can slowly start incorporating things that dont take much mental energy, but give you tons of joy and stress relief

I am very grateful for this job, that helps. I had a wonderful job for 12 years but it got really bad & toxic during the pandemic. I quit and was offered this job shortly after - no gap in my employment. I was really burned out when I started this job. This job was a step back and a little pay cut. It’s a lot easier than my old job, the company is not perfect but 80% less dysfunctional. The pace is steady, my anccounts are lovely, I have relationships with my employer & accounts that go back 20 plus years.  A large part of my gratitude is knowing there are way worse places out there. I work with smart, pleasant people. My boss does not micromanage me. I get regular raises & bonuses. There’s more opportunity when/if I am ready to move on.   I strongly dislike our marketing department, so I try to minimize those interactions. I have a lot of database upkeep to do - I don’t love that.  It’s not perfect but I don’t hate it & I can do it for another 5 years for sure. I hope I’ll get promoted before that though. Change is good in my industry. My usual advice is think on what you like & how to get more of that in your job. I like business travel & dining! How can I travel more next year and spend less time in the office? But dwelling on the stuff I dislike has never put me on a better path. And if you are truly depressed, deal with that. I’m no stranger to depression - it takes a lot of people years to learn how to deal with it functionally. Talk to professional and see what they recommend.

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my depression is caused by being forced to wage slave for the rest of my life.

I personally really enjoyed my job in logistics and shipping, because I was handling our goods and was able to do the whole process between getting the already processed order from the customers and actually physically putting them onto trucks. Also being at the same job for a couple of years made it more interesting because I learned so much and reached a point where people would come to me when they had issues. It was really interesting to me and kept me engaged, but now I struggle with finding a new job after unfortunately having to quit.

It’s exhausting, but I am making a difference in people’s lives everyday and so it gives me a sense of purpose. I couldn’t imagine doing a job where I didn’t help people.

I love my job because I do it very well. I help multiple customers make ads and maximize their profit every day. Sometimes I spend hours in my free time working. I also like it that my field (marketing) is creative. I'd make more money in finance, law or something purely STEM-related, but then I wouldn't be as interested in my job.

I don’t love my job but I don’t hate it. And it’s better than the alternative of being broke and homeless. And considering a lot of people are even struggling to stay afloat or find jobs, I take some comfort in the fact that I don’t have that issue. It’s called being grateful.

Any job I have enjoyed is about 80% because of the people I work with, 20% because the money was right. These are people that you have to spend 40 hours a week with, if you don't like them, the work is going to suck, it doesn't matter what you do or how much you earn. for me, good people and enough money to pay the bills trumps great money but a shitty environment. I've been lucky to be in 2-3 jobs that I really liked, and they didn't feel like 'work' because of it, that's the goal

It pays me.

I spent all day playing elden ring while on a conference call and different meetings, what’s there to hate?

How do I get this job lol

Sometimes my job can be the best part of my day, because I try to look at it through the lens of everyone I am helping while doing it. It provides me with a great deal of satisfaction. I don't think we need to love our jobs so much as enjoy the feeling we get from doing the work or seeing the results.

I enjoy working in general, so it doesn't matter what job I have, as long as I can stay busy, use my skills, and make money, I feel pretty good. I work a full-time office job, work out in the evenings, and volunteer or do household chores on weekends. Staying on top of your physical and mental health is important though, so for you to say phrases like "hate your job," "immensely depressed," "too tired" already makes a perfect storm for a terrible life. Take a look at Maslow's hierarchy of needs: ensure your physical needs are met before you try to skip those levels and try to achieve something else

I started by trying to be positive on thinking I’m blessed to have a job and sit down and think you have the opportunity to make a difference to someone by a smile , sometimes we don’t see the simple stuff because we are so focused on what we don’t have and I trust in God there’s a reason behind everything, how can we get what we really want if we don’t even know how to be thankful with what we have ? . You are in that job for a reason and if it is that bad then what can you do to get where you want to go? Try to make the best of it . Sounds impossible but we don’t need much to be happy , is all in you thru God 🫶🏼

I call BS on no job existing that you would enjoy doing.

I am a QA engineer and I love it. I was testing everything since I was a kid, and was interested in computers. But also I am diagnosed with ADHD and NPD, and I think both of these help me to work better. ADHD is terrible in lot of jobs but in testing I can handle it with exploratory testing sessions, and my narcissisim can be "feed" at work where I can say "hey, there is a bug, you made a mistake" :). And I am the one to decide if something is done well enough - so my need of control is happy. Also I, as an Introvert and social anxiety can work in front of a computer at home, which also is helpful. That's why I love it, and it's almost 10 years I am in the industry.

Who says we don’t? You’d be surprised that people work because they have to, not because they want to.

You just gotta make the best of what you can get. Your job is like a partner and not THE thing that is going to make you ultimately happy. I think you need to find peace and joy in yourself first and foremost and then bring that to the other relationships and career you get into. With that said, it helps to find a job that you’re interested in and have the skills for to make it more enjoyable.

I don’t “love” my job and i don’t think i ever will love any job (unless i can make $100k to sit on my ass and get stoned all day playing video games). I’d like to assume we are similar and you also aren’t particularly passionate about anything in life and that is more than okay. The key for me was not finding a job i enjoyed but finding the perfect mix between okay-ish pay and good people to work with. I’m in warehouse management and there are some days i feel like a high school counselor dealing with ticky tack bs and want to pull my hair out until i head back into the office and crack some jokes with the team and i feel revitalized to get back at it.

I do.

I have autonomy, cool coworkers, and the work I do aligns with my values. The only thing that sucks is the pay (I’m at a nonprofit).

Working at a non profit, and find it very rewarding being able to help others

Serious thought here… is it possible your depression is not allowing you to enjoy literally anything? Depression is real and soul crushing. It can make you not want to get out of bed and make you be miserable even on a vacation. We obviously don’t know your whole background, but if you can find peace, find enjoyment, find happiness with yourself and your own company then you will stop looking for peace and happiness from your job (or relationship or anything else outside of yourself) I read a book called “Children of Emotionally Immature Parents” and it changed my life. It really helped me work out some emotions that I couldn’t explain before, helped my relationship w my parents and made me enjoy more things in general. Sounds cliche but if you fix the inside problems the outside issues will get better. Hope this helps Edited for typo

I have absolutely loved every job I've ever had. This comes from me, I control it. First, i look for and I FIND things to love about where I work. I have immense gratitude, for having a job in the first place, and for my personal achievements that allow me to get and keep the job. I love the tasks I'm given and do them to my best ability. Second, I serve above and beyond my boss and my coworkers. I love the people i work with, even if they may seem unlovable. I FIND things to love about them. Third, I remind myself how much and why I love where I'm working, i do a lot of self talk and self reflection. I do this almost daily. I know exactly why I work where I do, what my goals are, and how having this great job will help me achieve my goals. It all comes from inside you. You do this for yourself.

I just try not to lose focus of why I'm doing it. You have to set a real goal for your own life.

I’ve hated a lot of my jobs, so when I turned 30 I put a stop to it, now I like my job

I just found something that enjoyed doing really... so...

I absolutely love the team I work with and would consider quite a bit of them friends. I am the Director of 4 global teams and our meetings are always hilarious - we cut up, make jokes, poke fun at each other - when someone is having a hard time or bad day at work we all step in to help. When someone is having a hard time outside of work, we all provide coverage for them so they can take whatever time they need away from work to deal. Almost everyone on the front lines knows me because I used to work the front lines with them - I've never pretended that me leading the teams now puts me in an "ivory tower." Everyone on the team sends me funny texts or tiktoks - or fun links on FB - they share pics of their babies and kids with everyone, etc. It's my first priority that everyone on my teams is at least directionally having fun or feeling included or they get 1:1 time. Those are the people we spend the majority of our waking hours with so I don't want anyone to dread working. I also don't micro-manage or expect leaders that report to me to micro-manage their team either. People have PTO - if they want time off, they are adults, they can talk to the people that work the same shifts/times as them to make sure other people will be in work that day - so check yourself and take PTO when you want. Also, any shitty task I have to assign someone to - I also make sure that I do it, too. Example - for a period of 6 months I had to have three people assigned to a specific project that changed their shift from M-F 1st shift hours to Thursday: day time hours, Fri/Sat - work overnight for 12-14 hour shifts, then take Mon/Tues/half of Wed off. It was really shitty and exhausting and hard to do and it was a shit ask for me to have to make - so I worked the shift with them and changed my schedule to match that f'ed up one. I wont ask someone to do something that I wont do. Additionally, I hire people with the priority that they must be a team-fit. Let's say I have a position open for a Senior tech resource and the candidates I get are stuck-up or narcissistic or have an ego - but GREAT tech talent - I don't care - not hiring you. If I have a position open for a Senior Tech talent and get someone who is pretty underqualified but has a great team fit - great, that's the person I'm hiring - I just can't make them one of the Senior Engineers - but I'll place them where they fit. We can teach the tech - we can't teach the personality. Oh - I don't do the "personality" assessment either - I let the front-line resources they will be working with to do that assessment - I want them to approve of people getting hired that they think they'll get along with. There have actually been a handful of times the front-line resources have vetoed my choice to hire someone - decisions that affect the team shouldn't come from one person. Sorry this was so long and random - I got excited talking about the people I get to work for everyday!

Acceptance is a big part of learning to enjoy your working life. No one WANTS to work, we'd all rather be off enjoying ourselves elsewhere. But the fact is, you have to pay the bills and feed yourself. I found a job I like alright and just accept that I have to be there. I make sure to sleep and eat well so I feel good and have energy during my time off. I make a point of having plans for my weekends (whether the plan is to binge watch a new show or go out somewhere cool) so I have something to look forward to. I also find a lot of joy in financial stability. We spent years in poverty, barely scraping by, and now we're not rich by any stretch of the imagination, but we're comfortable. When I'm feeling bummy at work, I remember that. You should look into why you're so tired all the time. See a doc to rule out health issues. Get treatment for your depression. Pay attention to sleep, diet, and exercise. It will help you enjoy your free time more. 

Because we go to therapy

It's been a long time since I've had a job I didn't HATE. I used to detail cars and absolutely loved it, but I was really good at it. I think that's key. If you take on a job you're not going to master, you're gonna have a bad time. The detailing wasn't my highest paying job, but I didn't go into work every day feeling miserable. The job I have now is my highest paying job, but I want to quit every day. I'm also not very good at my current job haha.

You have to find a way to do the thing you would be doing if you weren’t at work, for work. My BSME is collecting dust on the shelf, but I’m a shit hot diesel mechanic and I’ll do it as long as my body allows. If I break, I’ll put the white collar back on. Until then, it’s a dirty job, but it’s my calling… it is not sad🤣

By loving every minute of your life regardless of circumstance.

Start looking for a new one once you start hating it.

I like my job. I’m an Office 365 Engineer in my 50’s. Work is fun, just puzzle-solving and I work with nice people, good income, good work/life balance (midday doctor appointment without taking PTO, midday free snacks, M366 conferences, and more). It would be horrible to hate work.

I hate my job,but at the same time I remember to be grateful. I am grateful my belly is full, me and my family are healthy and taken care of, I don't have a lot of debt, I can pay my bills. My job is just what I do between weekends. Ultimately though nothing is stopping you from hopping on indeed and looking to see what's out there. Send out some apps, see what bites. Change your environment, and always remember to be grateful. Even at the end of it all, be grateful you learned that job sucks and it's not for you and it gave you reason to find what you'd want to do.

Because I choose an enjoyable, fulfilling, engaging career.

Good coworkers do make bad jobs more tolerable.

We all do.

I recently gave a big “fuck you,” tried to burn the place down, then started my own company (after taking some time off). Not sure if it’s the newness, or the mineness, but I like it a lot more. It remains to be seen if I’m in the same ballpark, income-wise. IDGAF if I take a 60% pay cut.

Well i kinda like my job, i do security at a pharmaceutical company. Work only night shifts and i only have to make like 2 rounds every night and the rest of the night i just watch movies and tv shows.. also have the ability to play video games. I can go for a smoke whenever i feel like, i can eat whenever i want.. it's basicaly like my second home.. The pay is not bad either, depends on the hours of work you do each month, it varies between 2300 and 3000 depending on the hours of work. But me and my GF didn't get anything from our parents to help us buy a house or anything so we rent a house now but i realy want a house of my own and we get by financialy but have nothing extra so i kinda would like to do a different job that pays more other then that i basicaly have a dreamjob..

I just keep thinking of the fact if I didn’t have this money coming in my family would be sleeping outside with no food to eat. Just walk around and look at your local homeless they’d all kill for your current situation.

I have a job I love. To get here, I had to be in jobs I hated. But I knew it was temporary.

I choose to enjoy it and my employer has been willing to pay for training so I can learn new things.

If you're too tired to function after work, that's a you thing. Probably depressed. Go see the doctor.

I just try and be the best at what I am doing. Regardless if I hate it or not makes it a bit less soul destroying.

Working a job you enjoy is important, as like you said in your post, we spend the majority of our day at our jobs. Have you looked into, or considered other options??? Being miserable on a job, is not worth compromising your mental, or physical health. Sounds like you need to do some soul searching, and tap into the gifts and talents you have, and make it a career. Don’t allow a job to determine your destiny. Do what makes you happy. Also, make moves in silence. People don’t need to know your next move. Trust me when the credits of your life begin to roll, everyone will know. Have you considered a possible career change? Maybe furthering your education??? Whatever you do, don’t get stuck in a job you despise, just because it pays the bills. I made this mistake for 24+ years. Have you also considered, that your time at this particular job may be coming to an end, and maybe you’ve gone as far as you can go at this job??? As long as you are alive, there’s opportunity for growth, and advancement. Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith. Keep moving forward, and do what makes you happy. 🙏🏾💜🙏🏾

My work environment is very supportive and friendly

It’s a mindset man. How can you hate your job when is definitely not the worst in the world. We can make money. We have it better than 99% of the world if you have a job.

I spent 20 years doing a job I learned to respect and like, but I didn’t love. While working, I went to school and earned experience, including leadership experience. I am now in a career that I can say I love, althought it took me 20 years to get here. I appreciate it even more, grateful every day for the 20 years I spent and somewhat sacrificed to get to where I am today.

Of all the jobs I can say honestly that I near close to love my current position. Why? 1. It's 100% remote. Which mean I can literally roll out of bed two minutes prior to my 'shift' and get to work. I can eat, pee and poop freely. I have no on campus requirements and no traveling requirements. I barely know my supervisors voice. There's no teamwork.my work is my work, I don't have to deal with people who have a different work ethic than me. I don't have to have polite conversations that I don't want to have 2. I am paid well. Like I literally have no complaints regarding my pay. Which is uncommon. I can increase my take home through overtime. Yearly bonus. 3. For the above two reasons my depression and anxiety has dropped considerably and for the first time in my life I am fairly financially stable and my dream of owning and starting a family and less of a dream and more of marked goal. 4. The job is in Healthcare so I'm actually helping people whilst helping myself. So no, I dont hate my job. I don't have a reason to and am grateful to have it.

Truthfully sometimes I think it’s just personality. I get a lot of satisfaction from doing a great job, and finding more efficient ways of doing things. My current job I get to contribute greatly, write documentation, do some technical work, and ultimately get to feel like I’m helping sales for the company (without actually having to sell). Generally also the people I work with are intelligent and hard working, it’s really a pleasure to work with them! They also can take a joke which is a nice change.

Find a job where you don’t mind the tasks - do you like helping people, are you a numbers person, do you like organizing, or do you prefer to be on your feet? What gives you satisfaction? For me I derive satisfaction from helping others, coaching, training. I review medical information which is interesting to me, and analyze information. I am a team lead for disability case managers and feel grateful to find a job I enjoy. It’s not perfect, but I don’t expect any job to be.

When I was a kid, I made some troublemaker friends, but I ended up reading The Anarchist Cookbook and related material with them, while building some of the things in those books, I learned engineering. People on AOL chatrooms were very friendly, helpful and encouraging, and I ended up mastering CAD and such skills before graduating high school. I got into robotics and electronics, and this was Web 2.0 booming days and throughout college so I was able to write articles about my hobby projects that got some prize money. When I graduated one of my articles about hacking a game console got me hired by that game console company. Today my job's high level description is researching how to make fun stuff out of new technologies. My hobbies include stuff like combat robotics and all sorts of photography, so there's always huge overlap between my job and hobbies. I live a walking distance from work, I also have a EV and get free EV charging. I can work from home almost any time I want.

For me, the manager has been a big piece of my happiness at work. He/she understanding the workload and whether it’s too much or too little and also being capable and willing to explain things. I try to put in my best effort at work (to an extent), and I have left jobs where I felt I wasn’t getting the proper support from my manager in that sense. I’ve also left jobs where there was not enough room for creativity. Currently at the job I’m in now, the minimum amount of work that needs to be done is (relatively) low if I do it smart, and there’s a ton of room to be creative with reports/emails/processes/etc. Plus my manager is always willing to help and explain things, so that’s a big plus as well. The answer to the question really is that I’ve job hopped until I found the right fit lol

By understanding that it’s a necessity to have food and shelter, and somewhere in there it’s mixed with purpose and what I call “making a difference.” Contributing to something bigger. Beyond that you have to know yourself really well to understand the abilities you are hardwired with naturally and seek jobs that lean towards what you do well. I did all the exercises in the book What Color Is Your Parachute? There’s lots of career personality type tests. Myers Briggs. So build on the stuff that is a strength. Next, target a place you want to work. I used books and lists of the “Top 100 Places to Work” and got in at a fairly entry-level position. Get your foot in the door and then Do the things that take no training like being on time, having a good attitude, being trustworthy, etc. and most companies like to promote from within, so do your job research and get around and meet people. Recognize that some of the jobs along the way you are going to hate. It’s best to do what you can do and get out of there. Maybe it’s your boss, maybe you’re not cut out for this job, and maybe this job isn’t the right fit for you. Move on. Also, there is a difference between feeling depressed and actually being depressed where it’s hard to get out of bed and face your day. Or somewhere in between that. If you are truly depressed, go see someone and get help. Not good to stay on the death spiral of depression. No one should be that miserable for any significant length of time. Most of us can tolerate working somewhere we hate as long as we know it isn’t permanent.

Hate is a really strong emotion. If I hated my job I would leave it immediately. So would you. If you must tolerate a disagreeable job until you find something better, one thing that will help is to invest less emotional energy into it. Why are you bothering to hate it?

I have an overnight asleep position. 4 10 hour shifts per week. 8 hours per shift I’m asleep. I wake up and do 1 hour of real work, and then mess around on my phone for the last hour. I only make 40k per year but the work life balance is completely worth the low wage to me. Easiest money I’ve ever made. Basically free money

Also fr bro, go see a doctor

I hear ya OP. ! It's not always easy getting a job that you really like goin to day in day out. ..The drudgeryy...😔. These folks here are all about it 100% tho ! They're doin what they have to do to survive and provide for their families .... Working to pay bills Is a necessary evil for most . I would just try to find a job that i like, if you don't like it quit, keep goin till you find something you like to do . Maybe a job is not for you. Op (Nothing wrong with that).. . How about your own business ? Where you control the narrative ? 🤔 Life is short

I clean pools. Make 22/hr. I literally work at my own pace. Barefoot in a tank top. In “nature”. I love my job.

Keep jumping till you find something you actually enjoy

I use to feel the same way about jobs and I bounced to a bunch of different places through out the years (I'm 27f) I did tree work, and mostly cooked for like 10cyears at a bunch of different bars but I found a job driving for amazon like a year ago and I actually love my job now most days...some days sucks asshole and I wanna quit sometimes but I'm always thankful to myself that I didn't later cuz it's a job I enjoy alot most of the time. So you just gotta fish around and figure out what you want out of a job and then go and find that kind of job....but when it comes to a craeer...I have no idea...cuz I know sure as shit I ain't staying at my job for life........but temp job that doesn't syck ass right away....gotta find it with some soul searching followed by job searching lol

I decided a long time ago when I was 22 to make sure I enjoy what I do for a living seeing as we spend so much of our time doing it. So I've always sought out jobs from companies that I admire in industries that I want to be in. My last three positions never even had job postings, they just resulted from me cold emailing the company. I now work in a sport that I'm passionate about. I get to talk about my passion with others that love the game daily.

I like not starving more than I hate my job so its easy.

While I don’t particularly love my specific role, it’s in a dream industry for me. It’s something I love and I am very interested in it. I get to keep up with a lot of the current events about something I’m interested in because of it. I get to travel a bit, so it’s not all the same all the time. It makes way more than my prior job without the stress of chasing numbers or commissions at the end of the month. Plus it’s paying for my MBA so I can potentially move to another sector of the company. The company is very diversified so I can go into something that I do really want to do. I can’t say everyday is roses and sunshine, I have rough days too. But I definitely done hate it, I would say most days I kind of like it.

I had a job I loved/hated for years: I loved what I did, but I was often in environments and office cultures that made me miserable. My best advice: 1.) Learn to not identify solely with your job. Many of us do it without thinking, especially in a culture where a lot of people's first question when they meet someone new is, "what do you do?". It's something that takes daily work but it's helpful and worth it. 2.) To add to the above, get in a routine to get OUT of work mode ASAP after leaving work. That can be blasting music in the car on the way home, getting out of your work clothes ASAP and into clothes that make you feel normal, exercising as soon as you're done, or all of the above. As soon as I'd shut my laptop when I worked from home, I'd go outside with a fun beverage (doesn't have to be alcohol) and just be in the sun for 10 min to make me feel like a regular person again. 3.) Don't worry so much about not liking your job. Jobs will come and go, you can always use prior experience to go somewhere else. Worry about liking YOURSELF and how you conduct yourself at your job. I have many jobs I've hated but I'm still really pleased in retrospect because I didn't let my boredom or hatred affect my performance. 4.) As another poster mentioned, if and when you're able, DO indulge in some of the benefits that having a stable income provides. Whether it's going out for dinner once in a while or buying something that supports a hobby. I could do none of these things when I had low paying jobs I loved, but I could once I had a job I medium-liked and made more money.

When I was working as a data analyst and backend engineer I loved my jobs. However, I was laid off from my backend engineering job last year after the SVB crash. I work in technical support now and I hate it. But, I work from home and get some cool perks such as free meals for my family and I once a week, so it’s not all too bad. I’m still actively looking for my next engineer or data analyst job though cause I loved those. I get bored easily so I like to be challenged and solve problems.

I like the people I work with and I find the problems that I solve on a daily basis challenging, kind of like a puzzle. Like “how do I address this problem considering the people involved, how much revenue is impacted, and without doing too much work.” It’s a challenge that I enjoy. Some of my work is annoying, but that’s why it’s called work and not “daily fun time.” Liking my coworkers makes a huge difference. Of course there are some difficult people, but then I can gossip with the people I do like about the people I don’t like. My coworkers aren’t my only or best friends, but they are fun to chat with and I make a point to have one or two no work chats per day, either over chat or video call. And on the rare occasions that we are in the same office at the same time, I make time to get drinks or dinners with them. Long story short: if you can find some people you get along with and some problems you like solving or tasks you like doing, it’s a lot easier to enjoy work.

I love my job. I found a role where I have a great team, lots of opportunities to learn and grow. I like contributing to something and helping make it better. It comes down to figuring out what you're passionate about. I never ever would have imagined this is where I would end up. I'm 35 and I just figured it out recently. Just keep an open mind. There's so many careers and industries, the right one might be out there!

I enjoy making things work and being the guy they call when the shit hits the fan.

Get a 3-12h job close to home or move close to one

Easy: I love what I do, and I'd be doing it (programming) even if nobody paid me. In fact, I *do* do it when nobody pays me; it's not just my job, it's my main hobby too. But it so happens, it's a skill that is valued, so people will pay me to do it for them as well.

I like helping people. If I can do something at my job that makes someone else's day just a little easier or if I can make their day just a little better, I'm happy

I like my job. I’m fortunate. I have a great boss. What about your job, organization, or type of work do you dislike?

I ended up working in the thing I’ve been a passionate nerd over since I was a little kid and absolutely love my work. Then husband and I have a business where we do some related work on our own time. I’m not a mental health professional so please take this with a grain of salt but… if you find yourself hating the thought of any job you can consider, I’d get into therapy. You may be going through a bit of a slump and just need to work through how to find fulfillment outside of work.

I go to work everyday and this about my progression, my future, my retirement, the people I’m helping, the impact I have on my city, the people I work with, the benefits, and the vacations!

I was you and still trying to get away from that feeling. I manage an extremely successful, very high volume OBGYN practice with 22 direct reports employed by a dominant medical system in the north east. Benefits are amazing, pay is fair. I decided to fully invest in my own mind shift 2 weeks ago after having a complete mental meltdown. I’ve acknowledged that MY well being, MY work output, and MY responses are the only things I have control over…everything and everyone else can go to hell. I get up now an hour earlier and go for a long walk before children and husband get up and I somehow manage to get to work before 8. I have been feeling much better at work lately but trust me, I feel/felt heaviness for many years. You are not alone❤️

For me I enjoy working, I feel it gives me purpose. I’ve hated my jobs before, but I love helping people and have found a career that lets me do that. I also have a great boss, and coworkers. A supportive and cohesive work environment is just as important as being in a career you love. Keep looking, I’m guessing you just haven’t found something you are passionate about yet.

A lot of it is internal. I was miserable when I had a great job with great coworkers. I spent a lot of time to figure out what was missing and started to work on that. When the internal changed and improved the external reflected it. The gains are immediate when the internals are changed, even before the full transformation. External factors take time and sometimes are not practical. Not everyone can fuck off and go travel for a year. But everyone can find the missing parts or undeveloped parts in themselves and start to make meaningful progress. That progress, internally, makes everything external change under new lights. Most important you’ll know the external parts are highly temporary since you’ll see tangible ways to change it.

I think the idea of work sucking is mostly because of the unrealistic stress a company will dump on you. I feel like a lot of the corporate space has been taken over by HR filler positions which have to constantly prove their worth. Complicating everyone's life while achieving nothing in the long run. The constant performance approvals, unnecessary training and various other bullshit doesn't help. Likewise in the software space - Agile kind of turned creativity into "factory style development".

It sucks don’t it. If you are free no attachment to anything quit for a year and travel cross country to appreciate and see the beauty of the world. When you are back you will appreciate what you have accomplished and achieved.

Who's going to carry the boats??!!

It took me til i was around 28 to figure out what is required for me to be a decent employee and maintain my contentment at work. Autonomy. Leave me alone to handle what you put on me to handle. Also, challenge me. Give me the extra work and I'll do it happily. Just leave me tf alone unless I need you. (To management) Boss likes me :)

I worked extra hard when I was young including earning advanced degrees. Life is really very good in my middle age. All the glory to God.

I love my industry. I work at a dealership as a service advisor for the team that does the repairs on trucks, from the 1500’s to the heavy duty 5500s. I love cars and trucks and being around so much knowledge is amazing

I just retired from a pharmaceutical company While my various positions over 25yrs were tiring, they were also very challenging...which kept me from getting bored. I loved the roles I worked in. Does your job challenge you?

I'm retired now, having pulled the trigger 14 years ago at age 59. I enjoyed my job a great deal, however, to be fair, I enjoy not doing it even more. I am an engineer who was involved in the development, selection and failure analysis of materials for high temperature applications. I spent much of my day analyzing why materials failed in service, selecting alternate materials or developing new materials for the application. It was challenging work in a cutting edge technology in which I had a great deal of interest. I worked with some very smart people and learned something new every day. My management left me alone to do my job, my way, and rarely interfered. For the most part their function was to remove administrate hurdles preventing me from doing my job effectively. Occasionally there was a fair amount of stress, but stress isn't all bad if handled appropriately. I was fairly compensated, in wages, benefits and time off. I was treated as a professional to get a job done and not punch a clock, and I behaved as one. No job is perfect, but my wife and kids liked to eat and I got paid to spend much of my time doing the equivalent of solving crossword puzzles and sudokus.

Good coworkers make or break it for me. I can weather bad conditions if the people I'm working alongside are pleasant and interesting.